Protective bumper case

ABSTRACT

The protective bumper case represents a two-component movable frame configured to secure and protect portable electronic devices of every sort and kind from mechanical harm (bumps, dings, scratches, etc.). The bumper case consists of the front and back protective pieces able to be rotated but connected by a pair of hinges on the top and to provide a robust cohesion within the entire structure when assembled on the relevant electronic device due to the coupled magnets inserted into the bottom side sections of the case frame components. The said bumper case can be executed in various designs employing different materials (a metal material (steel, aluminium, titanium, etc.), a thermoplastic material, resin-based material, or the like) and decorative elements (precious metals, strasses, diamonds, holes for straps or charms, etc.).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to and claims the priority under 35 USC§119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61699290, filed Sep.11, 2012, entitled PROTECTIVE BUMPER CASE, the contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

(NOT APPLICABLE)

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISC APPENDIX

(NOT APPLICABLE)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to protective cases for electronicdevices.

In today's advanced technologically equipped world, owning differenttypes of electronics is a staple in many homes and businessenvironments. Electronics like multifunctional cellular phones (socalled ‘smart’ phones), tablet computers, laptop computers, electronicbook readers, GPS, portable video game devices, etc. are owned by manyprofessionals as well as the average users. In fact, many electronicmanufactures are continually building devices, multipurpose, but stillfragile in their nature.

For modern personal electronic devices the trend is to assume a thinhousing and a touch-sensitive user interface. Such devices containdelicate electronics, therefore being subject to physical abuse andrisks of damages from handling of the devices. It is important foreveryone to protect not only the information contained in theirelectronic devices but the exterior and its aesthetics as well.

Though most of such devices are provided with a built-in housing forprotection from scratches, dents, shocks, etc., it is more frequent thatthese protection facilities are not enough and it is reasonable to usesome supplementary tools to provide more physical safety to anelectronic device. To keep a portable appliance in a good conditionthere are a lot of protective devices, mostly cases made of variousmaterials and designed in different ways.

Existing protective cases (particularly bumper cases) effectiveprinciple is based on wrapping around electronic devices or framingthem. Such bumper cases protect both sides of a smart phone as well asof other touch screen devices even from the top to the bottom thereof asit encapsulates the entire device with its protection. A modern bumpercase has a ‘lay on table’ design so that the glass front and the backsurface of a phone or other electronic device does not come into contactwith any surface when you would put your cellular phone laid down.

Normally the earlier proposals comprise upper and lower protectingelements. The lower protecting element envelops the bottom and sides ofthe electronic device to be protected. The upper one covers the front ofthe device and the sides thereof. The protecting elements may optionallyhave or have not openings for access to the sensitive display,functional keys, power jack, etc. The protecting elements, whenassembled on an electronic device, can be put together by means ofnumerous grooves and indentations provided on the side parts thereof, orby means of tight fit of one or both protecting elements to the body ofthe electronic device, or by way of placing the electronic device intothe lower protecting element further integrated with the upper one withthe help of the grooves thereon. The main difficulty of the protectivecases of such a kind is the loose grip of the protecting elements witheach other and with the electronic device to be protected.

Among other disadvantages of most of the auxiliary bumper cases are thatthey increase the bulk of the devices, adding to their weight, and arenot so convenient in use as they are to be, often preventing a user'seasy approach to the screen, numerous functional ports, sockets andslots on the top or sides of the devices. There exist such protectivecases which prevent the user from connecting a smart phone to anydocking device as it has been covered entirely by the bumper case,bearing no entry points for them. Therefore, it is necessary to take aprotective case off the device to make the interfaces available for theuser every time as required. One-component bumper cases can, on the onehand, fit the device not quite tough (thus flop around thereon), on theother hand, when a case fits too tight to the device it is troublesometherefor to be dismantled.

Nowadays there are a number of bumper cases representing a two-piecedesign having a front and back cover held together by screws. For thispurpose a protective case needs to be accompanied with a screwdriverthat is definitely a burden for a user.

Consequently, the most crucial disadvantages of all existing bumpercases are loose grip with the protected device and their inconveniencein assembling and disassembling thereon.

It is therefore desirable to have an aesthetically attractive protectivebumper case with high protective characteristics, durable, convenient inuse, supporting full functionality of the protected electronic deviceand easy in (dis-)assembling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a protective bumper case forelectronic devices with high protective qualities, securer fastening andimproved assembling (disassembling) characteristics.

In accordance with the present invention, the body of the bumper caseconsists of the front and back protective frames (pieces). The twopieces make a hollow frame the shape and inner dimensions whereof matchthe shape and outer dimensions of the relevant electronic device. Theframe pieces are joined with the help of a pair of joint pins (hinges)on the top and two pairs of magnets inserted into the bottom sidesections of the case components opposite each other thereby creating aninterlocking structure. It is practically possible for the invention toemploy any kind of hinge mechanism, enabling the two parts of the bumpercase to rotate about a fixed axis of rotation. The joint pins (hinges)provide up to 90° opening of the two frame pieces relative to eachother. Another embodiment of the invention comprises two more pairs ofthe magnets in place of the hinges to provide the entire structure tobe, on the one hand, a separable unit, but, on the other hand, stillcapable of keeping as a single whole. The frame tightly grips therelevant electronic device by hemming its edges and corners throughoutthe perimeter thereby completely protecting the device. The front andthe entire back of the device are left not obstructed thereby unless apiece of any due material (like metal, soft textile, leather, PU, PVC,etc.) is additionally included to cover the entire (or a part of) frontor back, or both, of the electronic device. The frame is additionallyequipped with a vinil damper, framing the interior of the both sections,functioning in two ways: as a means to improve safety of the electronicdevice edges and corners and to provide firmer fixation of the bumpercase on the electronic device. Openings are provided in the bumper caseto allow for user interaction with the device, including unimpededaccess to the functional ports, buttons, sockets and jacks provided onthe electronic device without taking the bumper case therefrom.

Since the bumper case is shaped as a frame supposed to be executed ofmetal or other hard material, it may not affect the normal use of theprotected electronic device and make the device have the same feel asthe device without any extra protection.

Among other purposes, the bumper case may perform an aestheticalfunction, being decorated with inserts of precious metals, preciousstones, engravings and the like.

The resultant closed structure defines a robust protective bumper casefor a portable electronic device which provides high protectivecharacteristics, durability, convenience in use, full functionality andeasy assembling on and disassembling off the relevant electronic device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention andthe manner of accomplishing them will become more apparent and theinvention itself will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjuction withthe accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are identifiedby corresponding reference characters. There can be as many embodimentsof the invention as many relevant electronic devices exist. For thebelow description it is the bumper case for iPhone 4S that is referredto as one of the embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are general views of the sensitive screen electronicdevice as held in the invented bumper case according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a general view of the fully opened bumper case holding anelectronic device therein.

FIG. 4 is a general view of the half-opened bumper case holding anelectronic device therein.

FIG. 5 is a general perspective view of the bumper case not holding anelectronic device therein.

FIG. 6 is a front view thereof.

FIG. 7 is a rear view thereof.

FIG. 8 is a left-side view thereof.

FIG. 9 is a right-side view thereof.

FIG. 10 is a plane view thereof.

FIG. 11 is a bottom view thereof.

FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged view of the front and back frame pieceshinged by the joint pins (hinges).

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the front and back frame pieceshinged by the joint pins (hinges).

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal view of the front and back frame pieces hingedby the joint pins (hinges).

FIG. 15 is a partial enlarged view showing the principle of attachmentof the front and back frame pieces by the magnets.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the front and back frame piecesattached by the magnets.

FIG. 17 is a longitudinal view of the front and back frame piecesattached by the magnets.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the invention as closed showing thedamper and openings for functional ports on the sides of the electronicdevice to be protected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In accordance with FIGS. 1-18 the illustrated embodiment of theinvention comprises the front frame section 1 and the back frame section2, attached to configure an integral hollow frame to secure and protectthe electronic device 3 from unwanted elements such as scratchings,dents, splits, cracks, etc. resultant from mechanical impacts orimproper handling. The frame (FIG. 1, FIG. 2) can be executed of anysuitable hard material securing high durability and not preventingproper functionality of the protected device 3, e. g. a metal material(steel, aluminium, titanium, etc.), a thermoplastic material,resin-based material, or the like. Other materials for the protectivebumper case are also accepted.

The internal perimeter of the frame sections 1 and 2 as assembledexactly matches the outer contour of the electronic device to beprotected 3. In the present embodiment the outer shape of both framesections 1 and 2 is rectangular with chamfered angles (FIG. 6, FIG. 7),though can be various depending on a preferred design unless the outerconfiguration hampers proper rotation and opening of the frame pieces 1and 2.

The frame sections 1 and 2 are joined together by means of a pair ofhinges 4 (showed in details on FIG. 12-14) providing the entirestructure to be movable but nonseparable. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 depict thepositions of the frame protective elements as the bumper case beingassembled on (disassembled from) the electronic device. Referring toFIG. 3 and FIG. 4 the frame sections can be up to 90° opened relative toeach other that secures an unimpeded positioning of the electronicdevice 3 between the frame sections 1 and 2 and allows for the bumpercase to be easily assembled on the device 3 and disassembled thereoff.

The configuration of the joint points of the bumper case is showed onFIG. 12-14. The mode of interlocking of the frame sections 1 and 2 isbased on the principle of uni-axial rotation. The cylindrically shapedjoint pins (hinges) 4 fixed by way of prick-punching are hidden insidethe top brim 5 (FIG. 5, FIG. 10) thereof in a way that enables the framesections 1 and 2 to rotate maximally expanding an angle of 90° (FIG. 3)wherein the hinges 4 act as the axis of rotation. Thus, using the jointpins (hinges) 4 enables the whole construction to be movable butunseparable. The in-between position of the hinges 4 is conducive tomaking the junction hidden from view thus more aesthetically appealingas depicted on FIG. 2.

The cohesion of the frame sections 1 and 2 is provided by two pairs ofmagnets 6 located accross each other on the lower (bottom) side partsthereof (FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 15-17). Location of the magnets 6spatially opposed to the location of the hinges 4 (FIG. 2, FIG. 3). Themagnets 6 are entirely inserted in the side parts of both frame sections1 and 2 oppositely, with the upper faces thereof left opened forcontacting each other respectively as the frame sections 1 and 2 attach(FIG. 15). The magnets 6 are in a shape of a parallelepiped withdimensions of about 1*3*10 mm according to the present embodiment,anyway ought to be enough for solid cohesion of the frame pieces 1 and 2(FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 15-17).

As FIGS. 1-5, 8-10, 11 and 18 show, on the parts of both frame sections1 and 2 corresponding to the location of the functional ports, buttons,sockets and jacks 9 of the electronic device meant to be protected 3,there are symmetrical grooves 7 making openings 8 for easy access to theinterfaces thereof as the bumper case assembled thereon. To simplifypressing the power button 10 situated on the right top of the electronicdevice 3 as regards the present embodiment there is a concave hollow 11on the adjoining part of the frame section 2 (FIGS. 1, 7, 10).

According to FIG. 18 all around the inner periphery of the framesections 1 and 2 there is a damper 12 serving as a means to improvesafety of the electronic device 3 edges and corners and to provide astronger grip of the bumper case with the electronic device 3. Thedamper 12 may be executed of vinil or any other material with similarfeatures (as for softness and resilience).

It is to be understood that the form of the invention, herewith shownand described, is to be taken as a preferred embodiment, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the claims below.

What is claimed as new is:
 1. a protective bumper case for protection ofportable electronic devices of every sort and kind, representing ahollow frame comprising the front and back frame pieces supposed tocover the periphery thereof, joined together to be movable but firmlyconnected by a pair of hinges on the top and to provide robust cohesionwithin the entire structure when assembled on the relevant electronicdevice due to the coupled magnets inserted into the lower parts of theside sections of the bumper case frame pieces. The inside perimeter ofboth frame pieces is equipped with a damper functioning as a means toimprove safety of the electronic device edges and corners and to providebetter fitting of the bumper case to the electronic device.
 2. the modeof fastening of the frame pieces (protective elements) by means ofmagnets inserted therein providing robust cohesion within the entirestructure (magnet locking).